These sound files are extracts (short, edited pieces) from longer oral history interviews preserved by Northumberland Archives. These interviews were made as part of a project to collect the memories of people who lived and worked on the Northumberland coast; “Sustaining Our Coastal Heritage”, 2006-2008.

Alex was born during the 1930s. He worked in various industries, including at the Port of Blyth. He was interviewed by Sarah Belcher on 30 November 2006. 

So, what was your first job in Blyth

My first job in Blyth. I started to work for a Newcastle company called the Hartley Electric Motors. Um they signed us on as an apprentice electrician. But it did not materialise. They just used us as cheap labour so I packed it in and went down the pits. But um I ended up working for the Harbour Commission because I packed the railway job in because they wanted us to go on shifts. Working shunting* at North Blyth. So, I started working for the Harbour Commission. I started shunting for them when the pit props* used to come in. 

They would hold up the… 

Yes, they used a stack of timber as there was a stack of pits around here in the old days. And all the timber used to come in from Russia and the Portuguese timber, from Finland as well. And I shunted them and we used to cut them and store them in the bottom yard. South yard. You had to decide, different ones went to different collieries. Which was quite a busy job in them days. And when that ran out, the coal was getting low. But in 1961 this port shipped just short of 7 million tonnes of coal.* It had the record. And now they are importing it from Russia believe it or not. 

*shunting – move goods around the port, usually from the dock at the side of the ship to a warehouse or other place of storage 

*pit props – wood used in mines to hold up the ceiling of the mineworkings 

*7 millions tonnes of coal – 6,889,317 tonnes, Blyth was the largest coal shipping port in Europe at this time 

So as you grew up in Blyth did you used to go to the harbour a lot? 

Well, the harbour, when we were kids during the war we used to go along a place called the flanker. Which is just up there and there is a stone wall on the right hand side as you go past the gas works. And that was where the old flanker was and the shipyard was at the other side. The dry docks. And we used to watch the submarines getting repaired in there. But we used to go down to the beach with the barbed wire and see the submarines coming in, going out. You would see the periscope coming up as they were coming in; really remarkable. 

Did you get quite a lot of wildlife? 

Oh seals ey. There was two big Norwegian tankers that came here to Hughes Bolckows,* they called it Battleship Wharf. And um there were two, you know they looked as if they were in good nick you know. But um they were past redemption so they were breaking them up. Two smashing lifeboats on deck. But there was this seal that used to sit on the runner of one of then and look down at other boats going down. He would be there regular. And when I worked for the Harbour Commission they were building a jetty. An extension on the jetty up at 43 jetty. Up at the Cambois side. And on a nice day when I was walking on the piling frame I used to go in for a swim you see. And this seal used to join us everyday. I used to get in the water and he used to turn up and come right along side of us. It was funny. 

Must have waited for you to dive in. 

*Hughes Bolckows – see resource with brochure from company 

…you see some funny things. You often see seal pups on the beach you know. 

So do you think that because the river has cleaned up a bit now because there is less industry. Do you think that there is more wildlife now or less than there was? 

I think it’s just about on a par. I don’t think it has changed that much because we used to see the seals in the old days and you still see them. Still see the wild ducks and that and you still see the cormorants. They are funny you know when you see them dive. And at the top end of the river on the Cambois side the swans used to be there all the time. Yes, a lot of swans. They never used to migrate. Most of them did, but not these they used to stay there all the time. And they were getting good grub you see, they were probably too heavy to fly anyway. Ey. I have seen the biggest flock of geese I have seen this year, coming across. Heading across to the west coast you know. Heading across. A double v.